the situation is worse than you thought

[RichD]

Yesterday, I was on a college shuttle bus. The driver
was telling a passenger about the alumni donors, that
you have to give a billion $ to get your name on a
monument; "Do you know how much is a billion?
It's about a hundred million"

Are bus drivers allowed to vote? This explains much.

 

[Phillip Helbig---undress to reply]

In the UK, a billion _is_ equal to 100 million.

No, it is not, and it never was. The UK billion was a million million,
i.e. a US trillion. 1000 million, the equivalent of the US billion, was
the milliard. However, US-style usage is becoming more prevalent in the
UK, just as many people today say "radio" and no longer "wireless".

In other languages, terms similar to the old UK usage are the only ones
in use, e.g. German has Milliarde for 1000 million and Billion for one
million million.

In the US, a billion equals 1000 million.

Right.

 

[Phillip Helbig---undress to reply]

I thought, in Europe a billion is 10^(12), i.e. 1000*1000 millions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales

Right, though in the UK the US usage is becoming more common.

 

[karl]

Am 30.04.2013 09:27, schrieb quasi:

In the UK, a billion _is_ equal to 100 million.

In the US, a billion equals 1000 million.

Perhaps the bus driver had a UK-based education.

quasi

That is new to me.

I thought, in Europe a billion is 10^(12), i.e. 1000*1000 millions.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_and_short_scales

Karl

 

[Phillip Helbig---undress to reply]

Forget what I said above -- I misread a web link.

In general, if you have to look it up yourself, don't post.

In the US,

a billion = 10^9
a trillion = 10^12

In the UK (and many other countries),

a billion = 10^12 (1 million squared)
a trillion = 10^18 (1 million cubed)

Right. 10^15 being a billiard.

 

[Jasen Betts]

In the UK, a billion _is_ equal to 100 million.

never!

since 1974 it's been 10^9 (and before that 10^12)

 

[Martin Brown]

In the UK, a billion _is_ equal to 100 million.

Utter rubbish - that is something daft we tell stupid Americans.

Milliard was the old English word for modern billion.

A UK billion was a long time ago a million millions but it was fully
redefined by Harold Wilson's government in a 1974 parliamentary answer
to match the US (aka international) definition. US dictionaries do not
seem to have kept pace with this "recent" development.

In fact both forms of billion existed in the UK up until the mid 60's
but from 1951 onwards the US definition was becoming prevalent in the
small circle of people that actually needed to use such large numbers.

http://www.parliament.uk/briefing-papers/SN04440.pdf

 

[Phillip Helbig---undress to reply]

A UK billion was a long time ago a million millions but it was fully
redefined by Harold Wilson's government in a 1974 parliamentary answer
to match the US (aka international) definition. US dictionaries do not
seem to have kept pace with this "recent" development.

US yes, international no. Many languages, such as German, have the
equivalent of the old milliard with the equivalent of a billion being a
thousand milliards etc.

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

Bus drivers don't need to know this stuff. It's more disturbing when journalists
and politicians are obviously innumerate, which they generally are.

Could be the driver was being ironic with that busload of college brats.

If you want to feel sad, read some of the comments on this:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2013/04/26/plug-it-on-the-window/

I hope most of them are 'plants' by some amoral marketing firm. I'd
hate to think that many people are so innumerate.

All they need to do is to solve a couple of "technical problems".
Kettles and toasters from something the size of a hockey puck. 8-(

 

[George Herold]

If you want to feel sad, read some of the comments on this:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2013/04/26/plug-it-on-the-window/

I hope most of them are 'plants' by some amoral marketing firm. I'd
hate to think that many people are so innumerate.

All they need to do is to solve a couple of "technical problems".
Kettles and toasters from something the size of a hockey puck. 8-(

Fun... they have stainless steel ice cubes too. ('cause ice doesn't
cool very well) They need someone who has done some thermodynamics.

George H.

 

[Edward A. Falk]

So in the US, I may be qualified to vote, and in the UK,
perhaps I could drive a bus.

Forget it. Busses there are really hard to drive. The steering
wheel is totally on the wrong side and the other drivers tend
to come right at you, honking their horns and forcing you up
onto the sidewalk.

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

If you want to feel sad, read some of the comments on this:

http://www.yankodesign.com/2013/04/26/plug-it-on-the-window/

I hope most of them are 'plants' by some amoral marketing firm. I'd
hate to think that many people are so innumerate.

All they need to do is to solve a couple of "technical problems".
Kettles and toasters from something the size of a hockey puck. 8-(

This did not come from marketing.

"Look up Ohm's law. Anything that works off 240v will need more than the
minuscule amps that this will be able to produce. On the other hand, convert
this to a USB plug (5v) and you have something useful."

 

[Spehro Pefhany]

This did not come from marketing.

"Look up Ohm's law. Anything that works off 240v will need more than the
minuscule amps that this will be able to produce. On the other hand, convert
this to a USB plug (5v) and you have something useful."

No, but.. one poster said "Lol 130 of this 155 Comments are paid
people , found on paid twitter accounts. LAME !"



This would be great for camping – blowing up your air mattress,
lights, radio, toaster etc good marketing potential!


I’ll buy one as soon as it hits the market!!! Awesome idea!!!


what’s the phrase? “SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!”
Geeez, these would be a GODSEND to us apartment dwellers who want to
go solar, but can’t install panels due to idiotic landlords.


LOVE the idea of this product!! would like to be notified of
production and availability!!


When will this be available to buy and where?


When will this be in stores?
Where can I buy this?


Where can I place the order? The design looks really nice and if it
works well I would say another hole in the market is about to be
filled !


Wonderful concept. Please include me in your first e-mailshot as soon
as it’s commercially available. (I hope the ‘powers that be’ don’t
sabotage this excellent invention of yours.)


I thought fantastic, to use clean energy and benefit many people and
especially our planet! luck and creative ideas that may well


I can’t wait…..please let me know when I can buy a bunch of these…how
much do you think they will cost?..and will they be available with a
u.s. style socket?…

 

[Bill Sloman]

In the UK, a billion _is_ equal to 100 million.

Wrong. The UK billion used to be a million million - 10^12, not the US 10^9.

http://oxforddictionaries.com/words/how-many-is-a-billion

In the US, a billion equals 1000 million.
Perhaps the bus driver had a UK-based education.

Obviously you didn't.

 

[benj]

Having helped design a few utilitarian devices, that were all function
and totally ugly, I can appreciate the contributions of industrial
designers. My favorite example was a marine radio, with no obvious
on/off switch. I've also been a victim as much as a contributor. I
once worked on a rack mounted utility radio, where the industrial
designer had no concept of shielding, grounding, thermal management,
connector access, serviceability, and weight. The mechanical design
failed miserably in all these areas, but it sure was cool looking. The
design was approved by management which proclaimed that "aesthetics is
what sells the product, and you can always make it work later". Sigh.

Obviously management was right!

My favorite story was "How Xerox beat the Japanese at their own game!"
Some years back Xerox facing heavy competition from Japan and copiers
that actually worked. So they got out their wallet and developed the
model 8000 to try to fight back! But the Xerox CEO gets the big money for
a reason (read his book to see this story). Model 8000 just didn't do it.
Then he had a STROKE OF GENIUS! Change it to the model 10,000! Of course
manuals were already printed and it cost a million (stockholder) bucks to
reprint them all, but Hey! It beat Japan at their own game! It's clearly
THIS kind of corporate leadership that keeps America on top!

I can only wonder what they'd have come up with if they gave that million
buck to engineers and said "design the best copier you can".

 

[rickman]

Utter rubbish - that is something daft we tell stupid Americans.

What do you tell smart Americans? Or are there none?

A UK billion was a long time ago a million millions but it was fully
redefined by Harold Wilson's government in a 1974 parliamentary answer
to match the US (aka international) definition. US dictionaries do not
seem to have kept pace with this "recent" development.

In fact both forms of billion existed in the UK up until the mid 60's
but from 1951 onwards the US definition was becoming prevalent in the
small circle of people that actually needed to use such large numbers.

I remember reading a short story in Reader's Digest a long time ago
about a guy who was visiting the UK and was in a pub. He was just
talking, but because we are two countries divided by a common language,
his statements came out rather wrong and he ended up getting the honor
of "The Biggest Liar" as in tall tales. One of them was because he
referred to something as a Billion and of course they thought he was
saying a million million.

 

[rickman]

Actually, it seems that we Americans (stupid or not) have
managed to get the UK to change _their_ usage (at least
officially) to match ours.

Now if we could only get the world to agree on numerical usage of the
period and comma.

 

[Artemus]

Been there, but not by management. The company I worked for was top
heavy with engineers. We produced fairly well engineered but really
ugly radios. Something had to be done. Management hired an
industrial designer, who cleaned up the appearance of the radio by
converting the ugly sheet metal look, to molded plastic and aluminum
castings. However, when it hit the dealers shelves, there was a
problem. Customers that didn't have a clue on how to evaluate the
relative merits of the assorted SSB radio offerings tended to buy the
heaviest radio. So, I was told to add "as much weight as possible" to
the radio. Like any good engineer, I followed the instructions to the
letter and added about 33lbs (15kg) of lead weights to the radio,
converting it from a fly weight, to a boat anchor. Anything worth
doing, is also worth overdoing. Marketing wisely scaled back the
added weight to about 7lb (3kg) and switched from lead to steel plate.
They sent one of the sales people on tour of the local dealers to
retrofit their radios in stock. Sales immediately improved. For my
efforts, I was awarded a similar trip to the east coast, which I used
to interview with a potential client (and competitor). It never
ceases to amaze me why I wasn't fired.

The same thing was done with the hand held microphones of CB
(and probably other) radios in the 70's. A metal plate was added to
increase the "heft" and assumed quality of the mike.
Art

 

[Fred Abse]

Right. 10^15 being a billiard.

"A certain skill at billiards is the mark of a gentleman, but to play too
well is the sign of a misspent youth."
Lucien Fairchild

 

[Tom Del Rosso]

The same thing was done with the hand held microphones of CB
(and probably other) radios in the 70's. A metal plate was added to
increase the "heft" and assumed quality of the mike.

It probably also prevented the coiled cord from springing the mic out of its
holder when you put it down.